Background:

Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.

Location: Central Europe, northwest of Romania.

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total: 93,030 sq km
land: 92,340 sq km
water: 690 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana.

Land boundaries:
total: 2,171 km
border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km.

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers.

Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Tisza River 78 m
highest point: Kekes 1,014 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land.

Land use:
arable land: 50.09%
permanent crops: 2.06%
other: 47.85%

Irrigated land: 2,100 sq km

Environment - current issues:

the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution with environmental requirements for EU accession will require large investments.

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94.

Geography - note:

landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions.

Population: 10,006,835

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Entry formalities
THE EMBASSY OF HUNGARY OFFERS THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF THE VISA: